Finding You
by Carlson
Summary: Zelda's sixteenth birthday makes her into a woman of marrying age. But what happens when her parents want her to find a suitor, and the man she wants keeps eluding her grasp? Please read and review! I don't own Legend of Zelda.
1. Masquerades and Mystery Men

A young woman, only fifteen years of age, sat upon her throne, staring at her parents. Her golden hair shone in the sunlight that flooded into the room from the large windows. Her pale, almost white, skin was luminescent. Her powder blue eyes looked intently at her mother and father.

She wore a lovely gown. It was backless and all white. It had a mauve bodice and a multi-colored royal banner on the front. She wore white mitts. On her shoulders sat bronze spaulders. A bronze medallion hung from her neck. On her forehead sat a bronze, jewel-encrusted circlet.

"Zelda, my dear, your sixteenth birthday is tomorrow," said her father. "Are you ready?"

Zelda nodded, bored with the conversation already. It was one that she had endured many times in the weeks prior to this day.

"Your dress is selected? The alterations are made?" inquired her mother.

"Yes, mama, everything is perfect," sighed the young princess.

"Your mask? Did you go with the one with the ribbons or the one that you hold?"

"With the ribbons. What a hassle it would be to have to hold onto the mask all night!"

"You're absolutely certain that you want a masquerade for your party?" her father, a tall, stout man asked.

"Completely. If I have to dance with a thousand noblemen, I would much rather escape seeing their faces," Zelda looked out the window. "Hopefully there will be some younger men there. We _did_ send invitations to all the boy's schools and homes, didn't we?"

"Yes, yes, darling," assured the thin queen, "We sent an invitation to every boy in the Lanayru Province. Surely your future husband is lurking out there somewhere. He will be at the party."

"Fine then. Is this all we have to talk about? I don't understand why we had to have a special meeting. This conversation could have been held during dinner," Zelda stood, stretching her legs.

"Well, no, dear, that's not _all _we have to talk about. Tomorrow, you will be of marrying age, and you must choose who you wish to marry. And, we believe," explained the king, "that we should share with you our picks for your courter."

Zelda looked up at her parents in terror. She could only imagine what monstrosities her father had chosen. Being a noble king, he would have picked men who would bring great power to his country. He wished to make deals with other lands, alliances and proclamations. He did not care if they were fifteen or fifty, as long as they brought power to Hyrule, he was happy.

"Our first suggestion is Prince Ralis, of the Zora."

The princess grimaced, "Father, can you imagine what my children would _look_ like? I could never _bear_ to have children that must remain moist to survive."

"Darbus, of the Gorons."

"Absolutely not. Out of the question. Father, there are no female Gorons, meaning, Gorons do not understand the delicate structure of a woman." Zelda could only imagine who else he father had in mind.

"Kafei, of Termina."

"Kafei? Who is that? I can't say I've heard of him," The princess looked to her father with intrigue.

"He's the mayor's son. He's quite charming, really," informed Zelda's mother, "but I don't think you would want him. He's quite drawn to a woman in his native land. I believe Kashi said that his son was planning on proposing."

"Then Kafei is out of the question," the king said simply, "Moving along, then. Next, we have Chachin, of Earhearst."

"Chachin... maybe," murmured Zelda, "Wait, tell me, mother, are _all _the men from Lanayru coming? That doesn't sound like you. I highly doubt you would allow hundreds of rowdy teenagers into a masquerade."

The queen bit her lip, "Well, actually, I instructed the schools to send only their most suitable student. I want only the best for my daughter. You deserve a quality consort, not some low-life smuggler."

"All right, then," the princess looked out the window once more, "Shall we continue this at supper? I want to go for a walk in the courtyard before I lose the sunlight. It would be a shame to let this perfect day go to waste when we can speak of this another time."

Her parents looked uneasily at each other as their daughter left the throne room. They had a long list of suitors, and only a little over twenty-four hours until their daughter's celebration.

Zelda stepped out of the castle and was immediately bathed in sunlight. She closed her eyes and smiled. Immediately, she relaxed. "Brutus," she called to an armored guard, "where might I find Impa?"

"I saw her by the duck pond just a few minutes ago," answered the guard, pointing.

"Thank you, Brutus," the princess hurried off to find her nursemaid.

Impa was a tall, strong woman. Her hair was pure white, even though she was still quite young. Her eyes were blood red and piercing, despite the fact that she was very lovely. Her skin was very tan. She wore traditional Sheikah armor. This consisted of a skin-tight jumpsuit in a dark navy color. Her arms were covered in white cloth. An ivory cloth covered her chest, a red insignia painted on the front. It looked like an eye with a large teardrop dripping from it. Her feet were squeezed into thin boots.

"Impa!" shouted Zelda, scurrying over to join the Sheikah woman.

"Ah, Zelda, I thought you were talking with your parents," Impa's voice was soft and smooth.

"I was, but it's over now. Will you take me into town?"

"Zelda..." Impa murmured apprehensively, "your birthday is tomorrow. Do you really want to venture into town, when everyone wants to know all the details of your party?"

The princess pondered the matter for a few minutes, "Impa, this may be my last chance for a while. After my party, everyone everywhere will be badgering me to marry them, their brother, their son. I just want to have one last night of normality. Please?"

Her nursemaid sighed. With a fleeting glance through the window at the king and queen, she nodded. They hurried past Brutus, Impa shooting him a warning look, as if to tell him never to say a word about them leaving.

A small crowd greeted them at the gate.

"Zelda! Zelda!" they screamed. They reached for her, but were promptly reprimanded by a guard or by Impa.

"Let's go by the schools, shall we? Lessons should just be finishing up. Perhaps I'll get to have a preview of who will be at the party tomorrow," Zelda led her nursemaid to Hyrule Castle Town Campus, where all the schools were located. She passed the school for young children, passed the ones for girls, and stopped by the older boys' school.

She peered in the window, trying to figure out what they were doing. The professor stood at the head of the room, writing names on the chalkboard. Students cheered as people raised their hands to say a name. Someone spotted the princess, and announced her arrival.

The thin wooden door opened, and the teacher stepped out.

"Princess Zelda?" he bowed deeply, "I am honored that you have decided to review my teaching establishment. I mean no disrespect, but may I inquire as to why? I would not take such a noble princess to watch these rowdy young men."

Zelda and Impa shared a quick look, "Oh, no reason. I take it you are choosing your candidate for the party tomorrow?"

"Oh, yes, your Highness, we were just taking a vote. Are you allowed to see who we have chosen?"

Zelda opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Impa.

"No. We must be on our way. Come along, now, Zelda, dear," the Sheikah woman took her by the arm and escorted her away. Zelda looked through the window once more to see the boy they had chosen, but it was only a glimpse.

From what she could see, he was quite tall and slightly muscular. He had a thin nose and high cheekbones. His eyes were a piercing blue. His hair was light brown. He was tan, and very handsome.

"I wonder what mask he shall be wearing..." Zelda whispered, dreamily.

"It doesn't matter," huffed Impa. "Everyone removes their masks at the end of the ceremony, so you might be able to weed him out."

The morning of Zelda's sixteenth birthday came all too early. She dreamed of the boy that night. It wasn't quite a dream, but a vision of sorts. It reminded her much of a dream she had had years ago, but this one was much happier, much more upbeat. It was same only in the intensity of it. It felt so real, that the princess was astonished when she awoke.

In the morning, she ate a light breakfast, and was immediately taken to get her hair done. It took hours to complete the style. By the end, it was worth it. Her blond hair was twisted into intricate braids, at the back of her head. A golden circlet rested on her forehead, sapphires built into it. They made her blue eyes pop.

Next, she ate a large lunch to hold her until the celebration feast. After lunch, she was sat back into a chair to have her makeup done. This only took about an hour, because her features were already so beautiful as they were. The last thing to be done was last minute changes to her dress.

The dress was all blue, a shocking royal blue. The skirt fell all the way to the ground. A golden belt with the Triforce on it was tied to her waist, a gold, blue, and white royal banner hanging from it. The dress had thin straps covered by golden spaulders. Her arms wore long, golden gloves. A triangle hung from a long chain fastened around her neck.

Her mask was mostly white, with gold and blue accents. It was fastened to her head with shiny satin ribbons.

The sun began to set, and Zelda hurried to the enormous ballroom, where she took her seat at the end of the head table. She saw her parents, and they beamed at her.

"Oh, Zelda, you look gorgeous!" her mother wrapped her in a hug.

"You truly do look beautiful. We'll have to keep an eye on all the young men tonight, won't we, Annabellin?" the king laughed, looking at his wife.

"Oh, Nohas, you joker," The royal family looked happy as the guests began to arrive.

Zelda stared at the doors, trying to figure out who was the boy she saw at the school. She ruled out all of the Gorons and the Zora, for obvious reasons. She ruled out all of the short men, all of the fat men, and all of the old men. All that were left was a small handful of brown haired boys. All she had to do was dance with each one of them to figure out who the boy was.

"Ugh, the nerve of some people," uttered Nohas.

"I know! To wear a child's mask to a royal masquerade!" Annabellin scoffed.

"Who?" Zelda looked at the young man her parents pointed to. He wore a Keaton Mask. She pursed her lips. He looked familiar. Could it be? Was it the boy from the school? He took directions from a servant, and sat down at a table with a bunch of other boys around his age.

The feast began, and it lasted around two hours. By then, the moon had begun to rise. The king stood at the table, and commanded the room's attention.

"I thank you all for being here," began Nohas. "Thank you for celebrating the coming of age ceremony for my daughter, Princess Zelda. She is now of marrying age!" The room erupted into cheers. "Now, as goes tradition, the young men invited here to vie for a chance to be her husband will step onto the dance floor, and she shall choose who she will dance with first! Then, after their first dance is complete, others may join her, in this order: royal family, noblemen, then the rest. Thank you, and please, enjoy this night!"

The young men at the table took this as their cue to fill the dance floor. Around thirty men stood there, over half of them Hylian, a few Zora, and a single Goron. Zelda stood up, and headed straight for the man behind the Keaton mask. She glanced behind her to see her parents' reaction.

"May I have this dance?" she asked, holding her hand out to the boy.

"Isn't that my line?" retorted the young man, "But yes, I would be honored to dance with you."

The couple began to dance slowly.

"So, what is your name?" inquired Zelda, trying to see through the tiny slits that were the eyeholes of her partner's mask.

"Now, wouldn't that ruin the mystery?"

"Wha...?"

"Isn't the point of a masquerade to keep your identity a secret?"

"Well, yes," sputtered the princess, beaten by logic, "But..." She looked at the Keaton mask, it's mocking eyes staring at her. "Are you having a good time?"

"Why, yes, actually. I saw a couple of my friends at my table. The food was divine," said the man.

"You're an excellent dancer, Mister Eman," Zelda giggled at her joke. Mister Eman was supposed to sound like, "Mystery man."

"Oh, really? I've never danced like this before. You're a lovely dancer yourself, princess," The princess could not decipher whether or not her partner was embarrassed or not, due to his mask. If he was, he was hiding it well.

The music began to change, and the man behind the Keaton mask lessened his grip on Zelda. It seemed that their time for dancing was over. In her peripheral vision, the princess could see many eager suitors waiting for her to finish her dance.

"May I cut in?" squawked Prince Ralis, one of the few Zora.

The Keaton mask man bowed to Zelda before releasing her. She looked longingly at him. The music grew louder, and Ralis began to dance with her. He made small talk, but every time they twirled, she looked for the mocking face of the Keaton mask.

Many dances passed, and she only caught glimpses of her first partner. She saw him separate himself from the dance floor as the partiers jumped around during a traditional Goron bolero. He stayed away when they slowed down and twisted to a Zoran pavane.

Finally, as the night winded down, Zelda found him again.

"You're not dancing," stated the princess.

He sighed, and looked up at her, "I danced with many wonderful woman, most of them trying to win my heart. The majority of them thoroughly repulsed me. I did get a chance to talk with my old friend, Kafei."

"Ka... fei?" Zelda thought back to the conversation with her parents. "Where is he?"

The man with the Keaton mask pointed to a tall figure with dark purple hair. He was sitting at a table, speaking with a young woman with short red hair.

"Let's go say hello!" Zelda suggested.

The mystery man only sighed, as if he did not want to go. He took her hand and brought her over.

Kafei and his partner bowed to the princess as she approached.

"What a pleasure it is to meet you," said Kafei. His voice was low, like a purr. He wore an ornate mask that matched his attire perfectly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Kafei," the princess smiled warmly at him. "And you are?"

"Oh, um, my-my name is... Anju," stuttered the woman, clearly nervous at the sight of Zelda.

"So, L-" Kafei began, but he was quickly interrupted by the Keaton mask man.

"Shh!" he snapped, "She's not to know my name!"

Zelda giggled, "Yes, he's playing a game with me, I suppose. He won't let me know who he is until everyone is told to remove their masks."

The purple haired man nodded, then smiled, "Well, I have to say, I love your choice in masks. I thought you were going to return that."

The Keaton mask man replied with laughter. It was a laugh so nice and so warm that it made Zelda want to laugh as well, even though she didn't understand the joke.

"The guy from the Mystery Shop said nothing about returning it. He said that you wanted me to have it," he shrugged.

"Hm," thought Kafei, "I suppose he did... Well, I wouldn't know, would I?"

Zelda looked confused. Anju looked briefly up at her, then quickly away. She looked as though she were going to explain, then remembered who she was with, and didn't.

"No, you wouldn't," the Keaton mask man laughed again.

A guard weeded his way to the table, and took the mystery man by the arm.

"The king would like to speak to you," his voice was grave.

Kafei's eyes flickered behind his mask. The mystery man was taken away by the guard, Zelda tailing him stealthily.

Nohas eyed the mystery man, "I want to know why you think it was appropriate to wear such a mask."

The young man contemplated his answer, "Legally, Zelda is an adult now," he began, "and I wanted to let her know that just because you're an adult, and you have so many more responsibilities, you can still have fun."

The king stared him down, "All right then," was all he said.

The party finally came to an end. Nohas stood upon a small pedestal to make an announcement.

"The night has come to an end. Will all the guests please remove their masks!" Nohas took his own, and revealed his chubby face. The guests followed suit.

Zelda stared at the Keaton mask man intently, absentmindedly taking off her own mask. Beneath the shining gold wood of the Keaton, there was a young man with a shockingly handsome face. His face was identical to the one the princess had caught a glimpse of the day before. She started to make her way over, but was stopped by a couple guards.

"Your father would like you up with him, your highness," apprised one guard. She nodded, and went with them.

"Ah, there she is!" the king kissed his daughter's forehead. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yes, Daddy. I had a wonderful time," she beamed at him, still antsy to find the boy.

"Did you find anyone you liked?" queried her mother.

"Why, yes, I did," Zelda told Annabellin, "I was just looking for him..."

"Who is he?" Her mother ignored the hint.

"Well, I'll find him and bring him to you," The princess hurried into the retreating crowd, desperate to find the boy. After many minutes of searching, she came up short. She slumped back to her parents.

"He left," she said, her voice sad and tired.


	2. Interrogations

Brutus stood at the gate, watching the princess.

"You know, no commoners ever come to the gate," said the guard, "the outer wall guards take care of them before they can get this far."

Zelda slumped, defeated, "Where could he possibly be?!" Her tone was urgent and hurt, "I watch for him in the windows and through the gate everyday, but not once have I caught a glimpse of him!"

"Hyrule Castle Town is quite large, the largest city in all of Hyrule. Surely he doesn't frequent the town square if he is a resident, especially if he is a student at a secondary school," Brutus sighed. "I don't think your parents, or Impa, would like to know how much time you put into looking for him."

The princess shot him a sour look, "Brutus! I'm sure they will _never_ find out, right? Because if they do, I'll know just who told them. And that person would know how much trouble they would get in if they were to tell."

The guard's confidence faltered the slightest bit as he flicked his eyes towards the stained-glass window of the great hall.

"Brutus," murmured Zelda, "do you only guard the gate at night?"

"Erm, yes."

"Then why do you appear so drowsy in the daytime? It seems illogical that you would be sleepy after a full night's rest. No pun intended."

"Just, some things keep me up at night."

Zelda smiled. It was a knowing smile, like she knew Brutus's secret, whatever it was. "Now, Brutus, are you married?" The question seemed out of the ordinary, which thickened the princess's all-knowing look.

"No."

"But, why? You're quite dashing. You could have any woman you wanted. Surely you have a girlfriend."

Brutus took in a sharp breath, "No, I don't, princess." He didn't dare ask a reason for the questions.

"Then why are you so tired?"

Brutus paused at a loss for words. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, Impa walked through the castle doors.

"Zelda, there you are. Brutus," she nodded to him, acknowledging his existence. "What are you doing by the gate?"

The princess looked down, and bit her lip. It was now or never, she thought, "Well, Impa, I was thinking that for me to really understand my people, I should go and see what it is like to be like them." Impa began to speak, but the princess interrupted her, "Before you say anything, all I want to do is go out to a cafe, not a dirty one, nor an upper-scale one. Just a normal, regular, cafe."

"Still looking for him?" Impa looked down at Zelda, holding back a mocking smile.

"Impa!" Zelda scoffed, "I just want to understand my people!"

The Sheikah woman sent the princess a condescending stare.

The two arrived at a small cafe named Hi Hyrule! They took seats at the counter. Zelda sat quite a ways away from Impa, for she was disguised as a regular girl. If she were to sit with her nursemaid, it would blow her cover.

The shop's owner appeared from behind a door in the back, and walked straight up to Impa.

"Impa! Long time, no see. I thought taking care of the royal brat was a full-time job," teased the man. He was burly and hairy.

"Shut up, Gasto. She's not a brat, and she allows me breaks once in a while. Besides, it isn't even her who determines what I do, it is her parents," Impa rolled her eyes. "Now, are you going to take my order, or what?"

"Ah, yes. Well, I'm not. I'll get the new kid out from the back. He could use the training," Gasto laughed, and leaned in closer, "Actually, I'm trying to see if he'll get starstuck. I'm waiting to see him break his cool demeanor."

The man walked back into the door and was gone for a few minutes. A teenager appeared in the cafe's dining area. Zelda's eyes bulged. There he was, the brown haired, blue eyed boy who she saw both at the school, and at her party. It took everything she had not to scream at him to come over.

He walked right up to Impa, holding a notepad in his right hand, "May I take your order?"

"I'll just have some tea, thanks."

He scribbled something down on the notepad in messy handwriting, "What kind? We have special blends, flavored teas.."

"Just tell Gasto to fix up my usual."

"Of course. I'll have that out here right away."

As he moved onto Zelda, he whistled. Impa's sharp Sheikah ears caught onto the tune right away.

"Wait!" she snapped, grabbing his arm, "What's that song you're whistling."

"I-I don't know," sputtered the boy, "I just heard it somewhere. I can't remember where. Just.. somewhere."

Gasto burst in from the kitchen, seeing what all the commotion was all about, "Hey, hey! What's goin' on?!"

"You're lying, boy, I can smell it," sneered Impa, "_Where did you hear that song._"

"Just, somewhere! On the streets, maybe!" the boy put up an impressive fight against the Sheikah woman.

"I'm sorry, Gasto, but I'm going to have to take your new employee in for questioning."

The boy's eyes flared in panic. He looked not like a criminal about to be accused, but like someone with a secret about to be found out. Zelda observed his face. It looked so familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She thought that maybe it was because of seeing him at the school, but that didn't feel quite right.

Back at the castle, Impa sat the boy in a chair. "What's your name?"

"Link. Link Longrey," mumbled the boy. He looked up at her, taking in her reaction.

"Sounds familiar... Where do you live?"

"In a shack on the outskirts of Hyrule Castle Town."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen, almost eighteen."

"All right then," said Impa, "I'm going to ask you one more time. Where did you hear that song?"

"I can't remember."

"Liar! Do you understand how important this is? Do you? No, of course you don't. That song is sacred to the royal family. Only the family and those extremely close to them are permitted to know it."

"I know that."

"And do you know that it can trigger mysterious things to happen? Open doors to places you should not go?"

"Yes."

Impa was baffled. This boy was so calm, so stoic. He refused to be broken. Something about him, something about his name, something about his face was so familiar.

"Where you at Zelda's birthday party?" The question seemed so out of the blue.

"Yes."

Perhaps that's where she knew him from. But he was wearing a mask, so there was no way Impa could have seen him. She was so confused.

"Uh... I'll be right back." She was at a loss for words as she scurried out of the interrogation room. She ran into Zelda as she closed the door.

"How did it go?" inquired the princess, her voice dripping curiosity.

"Well, it's not finished yet, but... My Goddesses, that boy is _so_ familiar! I have this feeling, this tickling feeling at the back of my neck that I have seen him, _known him_, before. Not just a passing glance on the street, but this feeling that I knew him quite well..."

Zelda agreed, sharing her feelings with Impa. The two reentered the room.

"Hello," Zelda's voice was the ghost of a whisper.

"Hi."

"Um, could you tell me everything there is to know about you?" Zelda's words came out fast, rushing into each other.

Link looked at her, then smiled and said, "But you already know. Or have you forgotten?" He frowned, looking hurt, "I was afraid this would happen."

"No, no! I remember everything you told me at the party!" the princess tried hard to sound enthusiastic.

"I'm not talking about the party," Link's voice was a resentful growl, "You knew me once. We were friends, I would say. But then everything changed, went back to the way it was. Only you remembered. But I guess memories fade..."

"What on _earth_ are you talking about?!" Impa yelled.

"Do you really want to know who I learned that song from?" hissed Link, "I heard it from _you_, Impa, Sage of the Shadow. You taught _me_ that song in the inner courtyard of the castle. I stood there with Zelda after we'd talked, and then you escorted me out. You told me all about Zelda's Lullaby and what it could do!"

The two women were dazed. They had no recollection of this ever happening.

"Of course, this event came to never happen, because seven years after it, _you_,"-he looked to Zelda- "sent me back those years, back to my ten year old self, with nothing but my memories. You remembered me until I left for Termina. When I returned from saving them from the moon, you had no idea who I was. Nothing." Link slumped into his chair, looking like a grumpy kitten.

"I-I don't know what to say..." Impa's voice was soft, almost inaudible.

"I _forgot_ you? But I just met you... I first saw you through a window in a schoolhouse..."

"No. You didn't. You first saw me in a dream you had, say, seven or eight years ago. A premonition. A vision of the future. You promised me you would never forget. Shows how much your really cared."

Zelda's eyes teared up. She was so confused. Here was this boy, this man she swore she had never seen before that day by the school, claiming that they had once been friends. So many emotions swirled inside her. Guilt, for forgetting him; anger, at him for claiming such erroneous things; sorrow, for she felt his pain; confusion, for she had no idea what was going on.

Impa took Zelda's hand, and looked into her eyes, "We'll get this straightened out, okay? Will you go and get your father? Please?"

The princess nodded, and rushed out of the room.


	3. Realizations and Restlessness

Well, just saying, I don't really think this chapter is very good. But, it's all right. Just get ready for the next one! It's a juicer! ;) And, by the way, I don't own Legend of Zelda. Nintendo does... I COULD own a character... if Nintendo would just hire me as a character designer! If only... :D

* * *

The interrogation went on long into the night. The king was getting fed up. His voice was now scratchy, his face red, his hair ruffled. He was out of ideas. Impa stayed calm and cool as the night went on, her tone never wavering, her temper never rising. Zelda sat in a corner, on the edge of tears.

"What is your name again?" mumbled Nohas, deep bags under his eyes.

"Link," uttered the man. "Link Longrey."

Nohas stood up in a flash, realization in his eyes. "Longrey! I know that name! Phineaus and Umbre!"

"My parents, yes." Link looked up at his questioner with a bored expression.

"Yes! They said they name their child Link! It's all coming back to me now!"

"Is it?" The boy raised an uninterested, disbelieving eyebrow.

"I remember seeing her flee to the forest, just moments after the King of Evil took her husband's life!" The king suddenly became very puzzled, "But... they said... I never saw, I just assumed." With a blank glance at Link, he said, "I thought you were dead! No infant could have survived! Umbre was severely injured, from what I saw, and the closest civilization was the Kokiri Forest, which is forbidden to all!"

"The Great Deku Tree said that my mother pleaded with him to take me," spoke Link.

"But, how did you get out? Why did you leave?"

"I had things to take care of. The Deku tree was cursed, I tried to save him, but he died shortly after presenting me with the Kokiri's Emerald, the Spiritual Stone of the Forest." Link explained simply.

"But, they just... let you out?" Nohas shook his head wildly, "This is impossible! You are lying!"

"I beg to differ," came Impa. "Either he's delusional, or I'm losing my touch. Besides, one day, the stones were in the temple, the next day, they appeared like magic!"

"I put them there... the Spiritual Stone of Fire, Water... I put them there," the boy laughed once, "I even got engaged on the way. Of course, that fell apart seven years later, when my bride-to-be became a Sage, and she couldn't marry. She still knows me, though, and still wishes to marry me. After all, I _did_ save her from being eaten by a giant fish. This time, however, there weren't bari and octoroks trying to kill us."

Zelda held her breath, _Engaged?_ She thought in worry. It took her a great deal of time to process the rest of his words. Her respiration returned to normal as she heard the words, "fell apart". She still felt a pang of worry as she heard him speak about the girl's desire still to marry him.

"Preposterous!" boomed the king. "How could you know of the Sages?"

"I know all of them, all of them, I knew personally. Once, anyhow..." Link drifted off, then took in a sharp breath and continued, "There's the Sage of the Forest, Saria. She's short, a Kokiri... she has green hair. She was, and probably still is, my only and truest friend. There's the Sage of Fire, Darunia. I became his sworn brother after rescuing his tribe's food supply from dodongos. There's the Sage of Water, Ruto... she's the princess of the Zora, you know. _She's_ the one who wants to marry me, and to my intense relief, she is a Sage. There's the Sage of the Shadow, Impa. Yes, I know you," he eyed the Sheikah, "You're the one who taught me that song, all those years ago. Lastly, there's the Sage of Spirit, Nabooru. She's a Gerudo, and tried to defy her leader, Lord Ganondorf as he took over the land. Sadly, she was taken away by Koume and Kotake... that is, until I saved her."

The three castle-dwellers stared at him in awe and confusion.

"How could you possibly know all this?" snapped the king, his exhaustion taking over.

Link's jaw set. He thought the answer would be quite obvious. Zelda expected his response to be low and calm, just like his speech, but what came out of his mouth shocked her. "Because I'm the damn Hero of Time! I'm sitting here like a prisoner for doing _good_ things, for _saving _people!"

Nohas laughed, "Have you any proof?"

In a quick swipe, the bandage that covered Link's left hand were torn off, revealing a black triangle branded on his skin. "Is that enough proof?"

Instinctively, Zelda touched her own Triforce. "But..." she murmured, "After we banished Ganondorf, the Triforce was said to have lost its power. They need to all three work together to be used properly."

"That's funny, because mine seems to be working just fine. I'm still a whiz at a sword, I can still shoot an arrow into a bull's eye on a two inch wide pole from a hundred yards away. I'm still as quick on my feet as I was years ago. I'm courageous enough to sit here, talking to you. Hell, I'm courageous enough to swear in front of the King and the Princess of Hyrule." Each word stung Zelda, "So don't try to tell me that the Triforce doesn't work."

There was a long silence. Link put his head down on the table. Zelda muffled tears. Impa sat in a chair, blinking back sleep. Everyone awaited the king's orders.

"Let him go," he whispered.

"What? Sire, did you not just hear--" spoke Impa.

"Just let the boy go, Impa! The mystery is solved! So let the boy go!"

"Of course. Come along, now." They walked in silence until they were well away from the small room they had just spent so many hours in. "That was brave, you know. What you just did. Any other man would have cracked under the pressure even before the king arrived. Even as you lost yourself, you still knew what you were doing." They approached the castle doors. "I commend you on that, and I apologize for attacking you at your job. I can only imagine the life of a person forgotten."

The duo got closer to the gate, and saw that Brutus still stood there, leaning against the wall.

"Brutus!" yelled Impa, "What in the world are you doing out here still?"

"Um, Nicoli couldn't come today, he was in the infirmary. He attacked yesterday, and I guess he got hit pretty badly in the eye. We couldn't find anyone to fill in on such short notice, so I just..."

"Brutus..." Impa shot him a knowing glance.

"Fine... I just... I just wanted to see him out. I knew Phineaus, you know? We were great friends. We went to the knight's academy together. Of course, he excelled, seeing as he became a Hylian Knight... I just wanted to make sure his son was okay. I knew that's what he would have wanted," Brutus looked at Link as if he was looking at his friend.

"I'm sure he can handle things by himself," Impa smiled, "Now, will you open the gate? I'm sure he was to go home. Right?"

"Yeah," muttered the boy, "Wherever home is." His voice was not sorrowful or angry. He was simply stating a fact.

"Home's where the heart his, kid," said Brutus before calling up to the gate controllers to open it. The words rang in Link's ears. Where did his heart lay, anyway? He couldn't even think of one place that seemed logical. He threw a longing look over to the castle before leaving.

That night, as Zelda laid in bed, she couldn't sleep. She kept seeing his face each time she closed her eyes. She wanted to know him even more, now that she knew he was a Triforce bearer. It was destiny, she told herself. Despite his harsh words, she knew that he was good inside. She had to know him.

"Impa..." she whispered through a crack in her wall. Her and Impa's rooms were connected for maximum safety.

"What is it, Princess?" mumbled Impa, her voice sleepy.

"Is it bad to be thinking about him?"

"Who?"

"Link... I can't stop thinking about him."

"I don't know, Zelda. Sheikah women don't take formal partners."

"Well, what would my father think?"

"I don't know. The Hero of Time, he's quite respectable."

"I want to know him so badly, Impa..."

"Maybe if you go to sleep, the feeling will pass."

"I don't want it to pass!"

"Well, I don't know what to tell you, then."

"It's like I'm yearning for him. Is this normal?"

"For someone in love, of course. I've seen many a couple fall in love, Zelda. Each one of them could barely go on without the other if one was off on a trip."

"Is that what I am? In love? I barely know him..."

"You were set on him before you even knew this little that you do know. You were set on him the very first time you saw him, way back at that school."

"But..."

"Go to sleep, Zelda."

"I can't! Impa, I simply cannot go to sleep!"

"Well, why not?"

"Because each time I close my eyes, I see his face! I want, no I _need _to know him, to see him..."

"Well, maybe I can persuade your father to let us out tomorrow to go shopping or something."

"I don't know if I can make it to morning, Impa. And if I do, I know I won't have slept a wink. If my father sees that, he'll have my head, and there's no way he'll let me out!"

"Well, what do you want to do, then?"

Zelda thought about her answer. "Let's go now."

"Zelda! Are you insane!?"

"No! I just want to see his face!"

"Zelda, listen to me. We don't know where he lives, we don't know he's awake, and we just left him an hour ago. He needs some time alone."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Goodnight, Impa."

"Goodnight, Zelda."

The next morning dawned bright and early. It was a beautiful summer morning. Zelda pulled herself out of her bed and allowed herself to be dressed by her lady's maids. She met Impa at her door. The deep, purple-y bags under her eyes were masked with many layers of makeup.

"Good morning, Impa."

"Good morning, Zelda."

The two hurried off to breakfast.

"Well, hello there, Zelda," Annabellin smooched her daughter's forehead. "Did you sleep well?"

The princess and her nursemaid shared a quick glance. "Once I fell asleep, I slept like a baby."

"Good, good. Your father informed me of last night's happenings. Quite shocking, I do say, quite shocking."

"Yes," Zelda ate her breakfast quickly, then nodded at Impa. They got up and went searching for Nohas. They found him in his study, immersed in history books. "Father?"

"Hm?" he glanced up to see who was inquiring.

"May Impa and I go out shopping?"

"Oh, sure! I'm sure Anna would love to go out on a mother-daughter shopping trip!"

The princess panicked. "No! I mean, I want to go looking for a present for her, to thank her for throwing such a magnificent party. It was simply divine."

"Oh! Okay! Well, take care of her, Impa," Nohas seemed in a much lighter mood, if he was just letting his daughter, the newly adult princess, out without much forethought. Perhaps knowing the Hero of Time truly existed and lived within the city walls put his worries to rest.

"That was a smooth move, Zelda," Impa laughed. Zelda stared at her. Long ago, her caretaker had explained to her that she was the only one of her kind that ever showed expression. Impa had said that in order to take care of a child properly, she would have to relinquish some of her teachings to keep from frightening the girls she was sent to protect.

"Thank you, Impa. Can we hurry?"

"Seems odd for you to be asking to hurry. I'm sure your exhausted. Are you completely sure we should be doing this?"

"Of course. Let's _go_."

They hastened their pace, and arrived at the castle gate.

"BRUTUS?!" Impa explained, "What in the world are you still doing out here? I say, go inside and send Nicoli out! He can finish today and tonight. He owes you that much for taking his shift last night. You can't be of much help if your eyes won't stay open!"

The guard lumbered towards the castle without responding, almost falling over many times. Zelda giggled.

"I'm not behaving in such manner, am I?"

"No, of course not. If you were, I'd dip you in a barrel of brine! That would surely wake you up!"

The two laughed as they left.

At the school on the far side of town, Link entered the classroom.

"Nice of you to join us today, Mr. Longrey," teased his teacher.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I had some important business to take care of yesterday. I apologize for missing yesterday's afternoon lessons," Each lie was smooth and very believable.

"Where were you?"

"I was--"

"Princess Zelda!" called a boy at the back of the room, standing and pointing through the window.

"Hello, Professor," said Zelda, "I wanted to say I'm sorry for taking Link out of class yesterday. Or, well, for my caretaker, Impa, here, for taking him out. I'm deeply sorry for whatever trouble I caused."

"Oh, no, no! It's completely fine, your highness, no trouble at all!" The professor, as well as the rest of the class gawked at Link. The princess smiled and left. She stood outside the school.

"What did you do?!" yelled a boy.

Link scowled, "Nothing. It was nothing. I did absolutely nothing wrong."

"Then what did you do at the castle?!"

"I was pulled in to be interrogated," Link was so incredibly blasé about the entire situation.

"INTERROGATED!?" The professor burst out.

"Like I said, I did nothing wrong. I even had proof for having done nothing wrong. I'm sure that's all I can say about it. So, now, what did I miss yesterday?"

Zelda was shocked at his coolness. He was able to get off the subject in seconds. He did not dwell or go into detail, nor was he embarrassed or annoyed. Zelda waited, hidden by Impa, until the boys were released. It was the last day of classes before a weekend, meaning that there were no afternoon classes that day. Finally, the students filed out, saying their goodbyes to their teacher and muttering about their plans for the day. Link was the last to get out.

"Hey," said Zelda quietly.

He turned slowly, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize. That sorry I said in there... it was for you."

"Hm. Okay then. So, you wait outside my school just to tell me that?"

"No..." Zelda thought about her next words carefully, "I wanted to see you." Hopefully her interest was not too obvious.

"Okay, well, you see me... Now what?"

"I wanted to talk to you, as a person. I just want to see the person I saw at the dance a couple of days ago."

Link sighed. "Fine. Come with me. Can't have a princess bumbling around Hyrule Castle Town, especially not on a Friday." He took her hand and led her along the road. Impa slyly followed, keeping a short distance away from them.

On the way to wherever Link was taking her, Zelda saw parts of Hyrule Castle Town that she had never experienced before. She saw the people that laid on the streets with no money. She saw the skeevy shops and booths with games of chance. She saw prostitutes and drunks, and men with long rusty swords. Then, she saw Link's house.

It was tiny and flimsy from the looks of it. The walls were wood and the glass was filthy. As they approached, though, she saw that the door had many substantial locks, and was probably the most secure place to be in the entire area.

Link yelled at someone next door before unlocking his own house. He spoke in some language she had never heard before, but she did not care to ask. The interior of the shack held a thin bed, a small dresser, and a table with one chair. She saw another wardrobe that was covered in chains.

"Um, you can sit, if you'd like." Link pulled out the chair from the table and dusted it off.

"Er, thank you."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I..." Zelda became suddenly perplexed, "I can't remember. Odd, isn't it? I can't quite seem to remember anything at all."

"Oh! I know!" Link began removing the chains from the wardrobe at a breakneck speed. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, the glittering chains were on the floor and the boy was rummaging through a closet of stuff. He emerged holding an unidentifiable object.

"What is it?"

Link removed the cloth covering it, revealing a sparkling blue ocarina. "It's yours."


	4. Chances and Changes

Well, again, saying that I don't own The Legend of Zelda... I just own this storyline... Anyway, this is the "Not Sad" twist, because, well, I thought about it, and the sad twist would have just ended the story right then and there. Maybe, after this story is finished, I'll make a one shot of what the other side would be. Well, anyway, PLEASE review :) And read. Haha!

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"The.. Ocarina of Time...?" Zelda took the shining blue instrument in her hands. "Play it." She thrust it back at Link.

"Um, play what?"

"Anything."

Tenderly, he placed the mouthpiece to his lips and began to play the solemn tune that was the Song of Time. As he played, Zelda closed her eyes and seemed to drift into a light sleep. When he reached the last few notes, she awakened, her powdery eyes sharper, brighter.

She stood up slowly, not bothering to take the ocarina from his hands, but to stand in front of him and stared into his eyes. "I've missed you." Zelda tentatively took his face in her hands and brought her lips up to his. She pulled back after a few seconds, "I've wanted to do that since I very first met you."

Link stared at her, a baffled expression painted on his face. "Since Tuesday?"

Zelda giggled, "No, since we were ten, way back in the courtyard, remember? You were the only once who didn't think I was crazy! Wow, that was, what? Eight years ago? Or would you count is as, say, fifteen?"

Had she just remembered? Just like that? How could it be true? Link stared at her, trying to note a difference. It took him only a few moments to spot the change in her eyes. The darker, more intense irises caught his attention. He was thrown into a flashback, trying to remember which eyes were right.

_I stand in the middle of the Temple of Time. I see Sheik there. He descends from the stairs and stands on a slightly raised platform. "I think it's time I confess who I truly am," he says, his voice expressionless and emotionless. He takes a strong stance and holds out his left hand. A triangle, the Triforce, glows. _

_ I stand back as the light fills the room. Could it be? It was impossible... but it is! Where Sheik had stood only moments earlier, the stunning Princess of Hyrule now stood. I walk closer to her, one step at a time. I take her in. "I should have told you, but I had to keep my identity a secret, for my safety, and the safety of my country." _

_ I cannot control myself. I take her into a quick embrace. It is so good see her alive and well. I look at her, her brilliant and intense blue eyes shining..._

He should have been happy to see that she was herself again. He should have been bouncing off the walls to know that Zelda remembered everything. Instead, Link dropped his arms and turned away. The back of his neck tickled. Something was off. Something was very off. He turned to her again, and put the ocarina to his lips and began to play the Song of Time again. Maybe, just maybe, this would reverse the reaction.

"What are you doing?" inquired Zelda.

Apparently, the damage was done. How could he return her to the castle knowing that she would not behave the same that she had in the morning? How could he even present her to Impa? Impa! Link rushed outside and pulled the Sheikah inside. Her sharp eyes noticed the switch immediately.

"What did you do to her?!" Impa shrieked, grabbing Link by the front of his shirt.

"Impa," Zelda's voice was stern, "What has he done to you? Nothing, that's right! Oh, wait, except for destroy the monster lurking in your temple!"

The Sheikah blinked and released the boy. She stared at the princess, confused. Impa turned back to Link, briefly glancing into the wardrobe behind him.

"Listen to me, listen carefully," whispered Impa, "I want to you to take all of the things in that wardrobe, all of the useful things, the ones that fit and you can use, and bring them to the empty store in town square. Use the back entrance. Be there at noon, sharp, tomorrow. Understand?"

"Yes," Link's answer was curt.

"And..." the Sage of the Shadow pulled a garment from the closet and handed it to him, "wear this as well. Be quiet, and be sneaky. Try not to be seen."

A huge grin made its way onto Link's face, "No problem."

The clock began to strike six, and the princess and her caretaker were only just arriving back at the castle. Impa kept slyly close to Zelda to keep from people noticing the change in her eyes. The first person they encountered was Nohas.

"Ah! Back from your shopping trip, I see. Did you find anything good?" Nohas asked the women. Zelda looked up at Impa, knowing that if she did not answer, their cover was blown.

"Um, no, actually, we didn't. I think we'll look again tomorrow," Zelda shrugged. The king raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Are you all right, dear?"

"I'm perfect, why would there be anything wrong?" Impa was impressed. Even in her slightly dazed state, the princess was clever and quick on her feet. She knew something was wrong, even if she wasn't completely sure what it was.

Impa sent Zelda off to take a bath with orders not to say a word to the servants about the day's happenings. The Sheikah saw the princess off when it came nighttime, and settled in her own room. Zelda, not tired a bit, laid on her bed, eyes open, pointed ear pressed against the vent she and her caretaker used to communicate during the night.

She heard a door open and then close, metallic footsteps getting closer to the vent. There were voices, but they were low and unintelligible. Zelda's ears adjusted and she began to make out some of the words.

"Impa... long day... missed you..." said a deep voice very familiar. _Brutus?_ Thought the princess. _I knew it! Brutus and Impa! I knew he had something going on... but... _IMPA?

The words continued like that, but they soon ended with sounds of other things. Zelda removed her ear from the vent, horrified. _Impa told me that Sheikah women don't take formal partners... long ago... maybe things have changed? No, she would never lie to me like that. She told me, all those years ago, everything about the Sheikah, everything!_ A horrifying thought came to her. _Or did she...? _

With that, the princess shut her eyes and wished sleep to come to her. Hours later, hours of thinking and suspecting, she drifted off into a dream. At first, Zelda thought it was flashback. She saw the darkness of Kakariko Village. It was much like when Bongo Bongo escaped from the well and took root in the Shadow Temple. She saw Link, sword in hand, ready to fight. The thing that made her realize that this was not a flashback, was that the blade grasped in his palm was not the gleaming Master Sword, but a sparkling gilded sword.

Zelda looked at her hands. They were wrapped in dirty bandages, dark navy sleeves covering her forearms. _I'm Sheik._ Thought the princess. From then on, she was fully aware of the fact that this dream was not a dream, nor nightmare, but a premonition, a look into the future. As soon as she realized this, she was jolted awake.

"Zelda, dear," It was her mother, "wake up!"

"Hm?" Zelda blinked.

"Ah, there you are!" Annabellin laughed lightly, "The sun has just come up, sleepyhead! We're going to be late for breakfast if you don't hurry! I'll send in your lady's maids to help you get dressed."

"Oh," said the girl. "Send Nata and Kili. Poppy is with her husband in the infirmary."

The queen raised an eyebrow, but did not say anything. She rushed out, and the servants rushed in.

As noon drew close, Zelda fed her father the shopping excuse, and she and Impa were off. They had to take a longer path to town square in order to keep from bringing attention to themselves. Meanwhile, Link sat in the empty store, drumming his fingers on his knee. A bored looking stone mask laid next to him. He looked at the pocketwatch he had bought in Clock Town. It was almost 12:30. Finally, the creaky back entrance of the abandoned store banged open, and the princess and Impa fell in. They did not apologize for their tardiness.

Zelda stared at the boy. He looked exactly as she remembered him, exactly like how he looked when she very first saw him at this age, when he walked in the Temple of Time. She was different then, he was different then. Still, he donned the green tunic, leather boots encasing his feet. His wrists were guarded by the polished Silver Gauntlets. A floppy pointed hat held his hair.

The thing Zelda paid the most attention to was his eyes. They held no worry or despair, just the everlasting sadness of a man forgotten and the burning curiosity of what lied ahead. She could see a worn bow on his back, along with a sword. A quiver of arrows hung beside them. A metal contraption was clipped to his belt, something Zelda recognized as either the hookshot or the longshot. He held a sack that most likely held the rest of his things.

Impa stepped forward to take a look at him. "I see you can follow orders... Now, what I need you to do may not be a simple task. I need you... I need you to take Zelda and leave the city."

No amount of training or practice could have prepared Link for these words. He was not sad to leave the town, although he would miss the people he had grown to know, but he was worried for Zelda. The worry was not for her safety, for she could defend herself quite well, but because he didn't know how they would fare together. For years now, Link had gone on alone, with no one at his side. During his travels, he'd had no one to talk to as he built a campfire. His social skills were severely lacking.

Zelda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Impa, I'm ready," she murmured, her voice almost inaudible.

"For what?"

"Change me," ordered the princess. "You said that if I were to go off on my own, for any reason, if I was in any danger, you would transform me, change me."

Impa was at a loss for words, "Well, yes, but you have Link here. You don't need to protect yourself. Besides, I haven't trained you, you aren't ready, I can't just..."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Fine then." She seized a dagger hanging off Link's belt. She held it up to her hair and in a quick slice, she cut it off. "I'll do it myself." With a few more chops, her formerly waving golden locks were scattered on the floor. The princess looked around the store, searching for more supplies. Her eyes rested on Impa.

She took another deep breath, and said, "I need you to trade clothes with me." Her words were unforgiving, and her bold stare never wavered even as the Sheikah's reluctance became obvious. Silently, Impa gave in, Zelda could see it in her eyes.

"Link, would you--"

"Gladly," The boy disappeared into a closet on the left side of the store. The two women began swapping wardrobes. Though most of Impa's uniform was much too big, Zelda made it work. She cut, ripped, and tore the fabric and wrapped it around her body. There was one problem.

"Impa, how am I suppose to make the appearance of a boy when I have--"

"Tape. Find tape, or some sort of binding," The Sheikah woman looked quite ridiculous in the too small dress. They went searching for anything left behind in the store. Impa went looking by a window and glanced out the murky glass. "Zelda... we'd better hurry. There's a lot of guards outside, and they appear to be looking for someone..."

"Me?"

"Most likely."

The women looked faster, turning over loose floorboards and shoving open cupboards. Zelda bit her lip. "Link...?"

"What? Can I come out now?"

"Well, no... Do you by any chance have an extra sack? Or bindings? Or perhaps some tape?"

"Um, well, no... Are you hurt? There's medicine in--"

"No, I'm fine, I just need a sack or something."

"Well, I'm not sure if there's anything in here... It's dark... I'll look around as best as I can, though."

"Hurry!"

At first there were sounds of someone groping around for something on the shelves of the closet, but then there was a crash and a low yelp.

"Found something... I think..."

"Well, give it here!"

Link opened the door just a crack and tossed a dirty potato sack and some twine out. _Perfect!_ Thought the princess. "Help me, would you?" She called to Impa. A few minutes later, the transformation was complete. She wore dark fabric around her body, the proud insignia of the Sheikah on her chest, which was newly flattened. Her hair, now cropped, was wrapped in pieces of the sack, as were her wrists. She did not wear shoes, for Impa's boots were far to large for her, so her feet were merely wrapped in the blue fabric as well. There was the matter of Zelda's bright blue eyes, though.

"You can come out, Link!" the princess called, and turned to Impa. "I'm ready, seeing as there's hardly anything we can do about my eyes. I'll just mask them as best I can."

"No," dissented Impa as Link emerged from the closet, a bruise on his cheek. He rubbed it, clearly upset with himself. The closet was a mess. "I think I can try something... Close your eyes. You see, the Sheikah can adapt quite well. Some are even able to hide their most obvious feature: the blood red eyes. Now, once they change the color, they must change them back, right?" The Sheikah woman place her thumb and forefinger on Zelda's left and right eyes, respectively. "Well, maybe I can do that to you."

From Link's point of view, it appeared as though Impa lightly pushed on the princess's eyes, then took her hand away. Zelda opened them, and Impa smiled, something rare for any Sheikah besides herself. "You're ready," said her caretaker. Link picked up his sack and slung it over his shoulder. "Remember my teachings, Zelda, you must remain emotionless and in the shadows. Do not speak much, and when you do, never offer information about yourself."

She sighed as she watched the girl who seemed so much like a daughter to her, leave.


	5. Escaping and Epona

**Sorry I haven't been updating! I've been lazy. I've had this half-done for a while. I finished it a couple days ago, but I never got around to uploading it. So, if you need a recap, Zelda regained her memory at the sound of the Song of Time, and now she and Link are fleeing the town.**

* * *

As soon as the couple had left the store, Link had donned the stony-faced mask. He disappeared into the shadows with Zelda. They made their way to the city walls, but they were stopped by the gates. They were closed and locked.

Link looked for a way out. "There," he pointed to the wooden rooftop of a tower on the wall. He pulled the longshot off his belt and awkwardly grabbed Zelda with his other hand. With a clean shot, the pointed end of the chain shot out of the longshot and lodged itself into the wood. Link barely had time to brace himself for the intense pulling that came next. Just as planned, however, they landed on the edge of the wall.

"Well, now what?" hissed Zelda.

Link smiled as he took off the mask and stowed it in his bag, saluted her, and threw himself off the wall to the outside. Zelda gasped, watching him plummet to the unforgiving ground below. Thinking he would land in the moat, he landed in a somersault, and stood up. Zelda narrowed her eyes. She was desperate to make him see that she wasn't a helpless princess. Almost as daring as he, she jumped from the wall, landing in the icy waters of the moat.

"Are you okay?" inquired the hero, extending his hand. She glared at him, pulling herself out.

"I'm fine. Wet, but fine," she said. The doors of the wall opened, four armored guards marching out. Link shoved Zelda back into the water. "You b—"

"Hey!" called a guard. Link stiffened.

"Yes?"

"Aren't you that kid, aw, what's your name...? You used to hang out by the castle gates all the time. Little hero boy, that's what the guys called you." The guard laughed.

One of his colleagues spoke up next, "Yeah, and weren't you brought in for questioning just a few days ago?"

"Yeah, you were, weren't you?"

"Well, search is over, guys! We've got the kidnapper right here, I bet."

"Excuse me, gentlemen," said Link with a mocking smile, "what are you talking about?"

"The princess. She's missing."

"Yeah, the royal majesty's thinkin' she was kidnapped."

"And I think we got the kidnapper here."

"Yeah, I reckon so." The four guards closed in on Link. He sighed, trying to think on his toes.

"But, if I kidnapped her... where is she?" The hero pointed out in the tone of the tone of his worst childhood enemy, Mido.

"IN THE MOAT!" yelled the fourth guard, "Yeah! I saw you push someone in there!"

The four knights peered into the water, seeing Sheik's blank expression. She pulled herself out of the water again. She said nothing, pulling off the Sheikah facade perfectly. Silently, she tried to dry herself.

"Oh," the first guard sighed, "That is definitely not the princess."

"Keep an eye out for her, will you?"

"Don't think this isn't over, little man."

"What is a Sheikah doing in the moat?" The four guards looked at one another, pondering the fourth's inquiry, none of them coming up with an answer. None dared to ask Sheik, nor Link, and they left as quickly as they'd come, marching down the path to Kakariko Village.

"That was close," sighed Zelda, brushing hair out of her face. She could see Link struggling to keep composed. "What?" He burst into laughter.

"For a Sheikah, you're not very graceful."

"Oh, really? Let's see how graceful you are when I-" As she tried to push him into the freezing waters, he dodged, moving quickly and simply. He moved only one foot at a time, not doing anything unmanageable for any other person of his age. Zelda dropped her arms. "Fine, you've won this round." She grimaced at her loss.

"So, where are we going?" asked the princess.

"Does it matter?"

"Not really, no."

"Then I guess the question becomes: where are we going _first_?"

"So, where _are_ we going first?"

Link nodded, taking her hand and pulling her onto a trail. "You see, once we have a horse, we're golden! So, we're off to Lon Lon Ranch."

The two walked in silence. Zelda looks at her companion. He had changed, a complete 180 degree change. In just a few minutes, Link had transformed from the angry, defeated young man in a questioning room into the dashing, witty boy in the Keaton mask.

The duo made their way to Lon Lon Ranch just in time for dinner. Seeing as neither of them had brought any food along with them, Link hoped that Talon would offer him a meal. Zelda stopped just before the gate. "I probably shouldn't come along, should I?" she said with a sigh.

"No, I guess not. I'll try to sneak you some supper, though. I doubt it will be as grand as you are used to," her companion jested.

Zelda scowled at him.

Without another word, Link stepped through the wooden gate and into the ranch.

"LINK!" came the squealing voice of a certain redhead. "You're here!" Malon dropped two buckets of milk to come sprinting over to him.

"Um, yeah, Malon," coughed the hero, "Nice... to see you...?"

The rancher's daughter's eyes sparkled with tears of joy. Her knight in shining armor had returned to her.

"Why are you here? What's going on? I thought you moved to the city! Would it be strange if I called you Fairy Boy?"

"To get my horse, to get my horse, yes I did, and I guess not..."

"Oh! Epona..." Malon looked nervous. "She hasn't been behaving so well..."

Link looked passed her to watch Ingo being chased by a large mare. He swore under his breath. Grabbing the ocarina from his belt, he began to play the soothing tune that Epona loved so much. Immediately the mare ceased to gallop, and turned to see her master. She came trotting down to meet him.

A grin broke out onto Link's face. "Hey, girl. Long time no see."

The rancher's daughter pouted a bit because Link's reaction to his horse was far more affectionate than his reaction to her. "No better than a horse, am I?" she growled.

The hero patted Epona's head, and then turned. "Can I... buy some milk? I'm... traveling." The redhead smiled extremely falsely.

"Of course, come inside." She rushed to open the door for him.

As expected, Talon was sitting amongst the cuckoos, petting his prized "Super Cuckoos." "Link, m'boy! Come to marry my girl, have ya?"

Link appeared mortified.

"I'm just messin' with ya! What do ya need? Milk? A cuckoo? To marry my daughter? Kidding, kidding!" The quite pudgy rancher's hair had thinned quite a bit, and his cheeks were still as red as ever, and his mustache was still as poofy as ever.

"I'd like a couple of bottles of milk, if that would be all right..." Link swallowed nervously.

"I'll get that, but not until after dinner, all right? You've got to be starving if you walked all the way here from the capital! Sit down, sit down! I'll get you some milk, some food, and we'll catch up, okay?" Talon pushed the warrior down into a chair and shooed his cuckoos away from the table.

Malon slid into the seat next to him. She leaned in close and asked, "So how's city life?", causing Link to almost jump out of his chair and fall onto the floor. He kept it together somehow.

"It's fine."

"Where're ya goin'?"

"I dunno."

"How long you gonna be gone?"

"I dunno."

"Who ya goin' with?"

"Nobody."

"Why ya leavin'?"

Link thought about that one. He couldn't tell the rancher girl that he was actually leaving with Princess Zelda to shield her transformation of sorts from the rest of the world... and for some reason that Impa didn't explain. "I dunno. Got bored of the city, I guess."

"You could always stay here."

"I like traveling."

Before Malon could fire another question at him, Talon emerged from the kitchen with a tray of food. "It's leftovers," he announced, placing bowls of potatoes and corn, a platter of roasted cuckoo (not his prized Super Cuckoos, though), and a pitcher of milk. "Well, let's eat!" Piling on heaping portions of the meal onto his plate, the ranch owner looked hungrily at the victuals. Just as he was about to take the first bite...

"Daddy!" shrieked the redheaded rancher girl. "We haven't thanked the goddesses for this food!"

Talon looked disappointed. "Well, honey, it's _leftovers_. Didn't we already thank them yesterday?"

"It's always good to pray. Think about it, if we aren't good to the goddesses, why should they be good to us? Have you ever thought about that? They could curse our horses with a deadly plague! They could make all of the cuckoos feathers fall off! All of our cows could stop giving milk!" Malon stabbed her fork in her father's direction with ever statement.

"All right, all right," mumbled Talon. "We thank the goddesses for blessing us with this meal." He looked quickly over to his daughter for approval. She smiled happily and nodded.

After a meal full of good food and awkward conversation, Link stood up and announced his departure. He was forcefully given the leftovers of the meal, three bottles of milk, and an uncomfortable hug from the redhead.

"Don't be a stranger, now," called Malon as she watched Link pack up his things onto Epona and ride off. She frowned as he left, hoping she would see her knight in shining armor once again.

"I'm back."

Zelda looked up at the voice. She looked bored. And hungry.

* * *

**A/N: How was it? Worth the wait? I'll get working on the next one soon, don't you worry! **


	6. Mood Swings and Mysteries

_I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or Majora's Mask. It belongs to Nintendo. _

**Note: Sorry for the delay, I wrote three drafts for this chapter. I'm toying with the idea of posting a separate story containing scrapped chapters that would have put the story in a whole new direction. Let me know if you'd like something like this.**

* * *

The full moon hung lazily in the sky. Zelda had long fallen asleep by a dying fire, her soft breathing barely heard by the sharp ears of the Hylian beside her. He couldn't help but stare at the princess turned runaway in his sleeplessness, a look of wonder and confusion invading his characteristically stoic face. He noted that she had removed her headdress and face coverings and covered herself in a thick blanket Link had taken from his house in the city. It was surreal, seeing her lying there, as if she had done so her entire life, when only days earlier she hadn't the slightest idea of his identity.

A thought tickled the back of his mind. Why, exactly, was she here? What was the purpose of their running away? Impa had been insistent that they leave immediately, making no haste to prepare arrangements. It was quite peculiar. This brought him to mull over how they had come to be in such a position. The former memoriless Zelda had snapped back to his knowing princess in an instant. It was odd. The simple notes of the Song of Time had brought anomalous results. A deep, albeit short, slumber fell upon the questioning princess and she awoke the girl of his memories. Something wasn't adding up.

Was it not the special lullaby, the magical song known solely to the royal family and their closest allies that put Zelda to sleep? He had not known the Song of Time to have powers beyond those to conjure a block, or open the Door of Time, or bring him back three days in Termina. Link sat there, thoroughly puzzled, for several hours, which he timed by the position of the moon. Soon is was on the opposite end of the sky, mirroring where it was when the hero had first begun his examination of things. Epona stirred for a moment, which interrupted his thoughts. Try as he might, though, he could not come to a logical conclusion.

He looked at her, her face turned to him. Her expression was peaceful, as if she was dreaming of sitting on a warm beach, sipping a cold drink. The longer he observed her, the louder a new question sounded in his brain. Why had she forgotten in the first place? For many months they continued to speak with each other and he was allowed into the castle without any problems. He left to search for his lost friend and returned unknown to everyone and to a barred castle gate. What had happened in the weeks he was gone?

Link pursed his lips in frustration. The letters shared between the hero and the princess had been lost after he arrived in Termina and his monotonous adventure took place. He had no information of what went on in Hyrule. Ganondorf could have returned, conquered Hyrule, brainwashed everyone for all Link knew. He could attack Zelda come morning with questions of those weeks when they were children, but it seemed unlikely she would remember, both because it was many years ago and with her altered mind, she may not know of anything that had gone on in the past five years.

At this point, the hero had grown tired of the night. He opted to play the Sun's Song, so the pair could at least continue their journey. It was also in the day that he could abandon the mystery behind the sleeping form beside him. The days were happier for him, where he could joke with Malon if he wished (even if she did annoy him at times), talk with Zelda, or groom Epona. Yes, he would abscond the night through the notes of the Sun's Song.

As desired, the moon disappeared beyond the horizon, the Sun rising just over the peak of the far-off mountains. The sudden light irritated Zelda's eyes and she began to awaken. Slowly and calmly, she yawned and stretched. Sleepily, wordlessly, she tried hard to release the tension in her back from resting on the ground. "Good morning" were the first words to escape her lips, accompanied by a smile just big enough to be noticed. Link nodded his head in reply, the worrying enigmas not yet gone from his cogitations.

Zelda could not help but espy the new solemnness hanging around Link. He surely was one to have mood swings. With a small chuckle, she tried to pass it off as tiredness. They walked, however, in silence, until they saw the stairs of Kakariko Village. "I believe we have arrived at our first destination," murmured the hero. "We can't take Epona up the stairs, so we'll have to unpack her and walk." A fleeting, polite smile flickered on his lips as if out of courtesy for the princess. "Be sure to stick to the shadows. People here know Impa well. They can tell if you are an imposter."

"Aren't you going to tie Epona to that tree or something? She could wander off."

Link chuckled, taking the bags of his things in his arms, and climbs the stairs wordlessly.

Zelda scowled behind him. He truly was the King of Mood Swings.

* * *

"Impa, you are my daughter's caretaker, why are you not showing more interest in this investigation?" catechized Nohas. The already graying king had seemed to have aged a full ten years in the day Zelda had been gone.

"We Sheikah are not ones to show worry or emotion. Trust me, I am sure we will find her and her captor," Impa assured her king. She had a knowing smile upon her face, but Nohas could not deduce its meaning.

"Why are you smiling like that? There is absolutely nothing to be happy about! Not only is my daughter missing, I have to house dozens of suitors until she is returned! Do you understand what it is like to have scores of young men buzzing around the castle?"

* * *

"And then Impa just grabs him like he's murdered a nobleman!" Gasto wiped a mug furiously. "He comes in the next day, sayin' he's gotta quit! I swear, something happened. He was my best employee!"

"Why was he taken in the first place?" asked the customer lounging on the nearest barstool.

"Just for whistlin' some tune. The castle guards are after him 'cause they think he's the one who stole the princess, righteous bastards."

"I wonder why they think that?"

"I'll bet anything that Impa tipped them off," came a new voice. Gasto and the customer followed the sound to its origin, a young broad with a ponytail of fiery red hair. She sat, poised and not facing them. "I've heard of her. My friend, Kafei, told me about Link."

"How would he know?" Gatso was shocked. He hadn't even noticed the girl walk in.

"He's my inside. He's stuck in the castle, since he's technically still a candidate for Zelda. Trust me, my information is _very _reliable." She turned to look at them, her blue eyes glaring.

"Wait a second," said the customer at the counter, "aren't you that Malon girl? The rancher? You've gotta be. I was just down at the ranch, buyin' some milk."

The redhead blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The two locked eyes for a few minutes, both of them trying to see into the other's mind. "You're a little too hotheaded to be the Malon girl. She's almost too nice for her own good. So what are you? Her twin? A cousin? Come off with it!"

"I'm sure I'm no way related to this girl, _Malon_. I've never heard the name uttered in my life. I am Romani."

* * *

**Enter, Romani! The strange third-person talking bow-and-arrow wielding alien fighter has grown up quite nicely. Now, for any of you that are a bit confused, Gasto was Link's former employer at Hi Hyrule! I, myself, had to reread the entire story before FINALLY completing this chapter. It's a bit shorter than I would have liked, but I'm finding myself babbling a lot. **

**Scrapped ideas for this chapter: Malon thinking Link is gay. (After seeing him and "Sheik". I'm not exactly sure what that would have done for the story, but it was funny to write.) **

**Malon joining Link and Zelda's journey. **

**Link having this long and thoughtful monologue about how Zelda's forgetting him changed him. (Blah, blah blah blah, BLAH. It was very boring.)**

**The arrival in Kakariko Village. (This was originally going to be put in this chapter, and it still will happen, just I'm not quite sure how they are going to be received yet. Also, I'm not really sure what they're motives for being in Kakariko Village are just yet. ^.^")**

**Malon finding Link and Zelda's camp, and Link telling her to go away and not to tell anyone that she knows him or saw him. **

**Finally, the point of this chapter was actually to address a few of the holes in the story that haven't been patched up yet. Like, for instance, HOW did Zelda forget him? WHY did they leave? WHAT is Impa up to? **


	7. Plans and Plotting

_I do not own the Legend of Zelda. It belongs to Nintendo. _

**So, I want to apologize for the ENORMOUS wait. I'd written the first half of this chapter in present tense when it's supposed to be written in past tense. Frustration ensued, and I left this alone for about eight months or so. I've also discovered that I write my best when I'm sleep deprived or sick. Great. **

**Anyway, a few people have reviewed lately, and I thought I'd take a crack at it again. Though I can't figure out one thing: HOW WAS THE FIRST CHAPTER SO LONG? I can't write more than three pages before I explode. Interesting. **

**Anyway, without further ado, I present to you, Chapter Seven of Finding You:**

The sound of clinking greeted the ears of a sharp-sensed Hylian. Two blue crystals, worth five rupees apiece, found their way into the hands of a hairy man wearing nothing but pants and a small vest. He smiled, baring yellow teeth, and showed his customer the way to the game. "Shoot all ten rupees that come your way and I'll give you a quite sizable prize," explained the proprietor.

Taking bow and arrow in hand, the customer readied to aim. A snap was heard, and a red rupee began the contest, moving from one side of the room to the other via a string. The customer, a blond man, shot off his first arrow, hitting the jewel with excellence. A green one jumped from a box, only to be missed by the man. Now frustrated, he missed the next two, but hits the three after that. It became a game of hit-then-miss, with him finishing the game poorly.

"Care to try again?" asked the hairy shop owner, smacking his lips. The customer shook his head fiercely, and stormed out.

"I'd like a go," calls Link, pulling two blue rupees from his satchel and took his bow in hand.

…

Two guards clad in shiny silver armor awaited Malon. She saw them through her window and bit her lip.

"_They may ask you if you've seen me, and if they do, you have no idea who I am."_

Quickly, she composed herself, trying her hardest to look aloof and unassuming.

"Hello, sirs. Have you come to purchase some milk?" she asked, smiling at them. The redhead frowned a bit when she noticed one of them staring at her chest. She felt a chastising coming on. _No, Malon, you have to keep calm! That's how you deal with men like this. They aren't like Link... no, they aren't nearly as cute as he is... they don't have sapphire eyes... perfectly mussed hair... and the body..._

"No, lass, we're unfortunately here for information regarding the disappearance of our fine princess Zelda," answered one guard while at the same time elbowing his companion in the side for staring.

"Oh!" piped Malon, putting on her best surprised face. "She's gone missing?"

"Yes, and we believe this man may have something to do with it," responded the guard while simultaneously holding up a pictograph of Link. "He was taken to the castle for question some days ago. He also attended Princess Zelda's 16th Birthday Ball, which leads us to believe he may want something with the princess. He was also seen just outside of the castle walls on the day of the princess's disappearance helping a strange looking fellow out of the moat."

"Interesting..." mumbled the girl, genuinely looking puzzled. _What was he doing at that ball? He couldn't have been trying to court the princess! He's obviously _mine!_ I'll have to remember to ask him about this... _"Well, I haven't seen him before. I'm sorry I couldn't be of much assistance."

The guard who had been speaking frowned at her news, but the other went back to staring at her chest.

"Perfect score!" exclaimed the other men watching the game. The proprietor's jaw hung slack.

"Is that even possible?"

"Rigged!"

"I call a fix! It's a set up!"

"My fifty rupees, please," requested Link politely. The hairy man at the counter nodded incredulously and dropped the purple crystal in his hand. "Thank you." He gave a smile and walked out, leaving the others in disbelief.

He met Sheik around the corner of the game, holding out his winnings. "I told you I could get us some cash."

"So where do we go from now?"

"I suppose we shouldn't stick around here too long. It's unlikely the men from the shooting gallery will forget my face anytime soon. I suggest we move on after buying some supplies."

"All right. Well, I'll see you in the shadows," said the Sheikah before melding in with the blackness under the overhang of the roof.

"You know, we can't keep running forever," declared Zelda.

"True," agreed Link. "But we should be fine for a few more days. I mean, we've only been on the move for a day."

"Still, it is imperative we find somewhere semipermament."

"Yes, but Zelda, darling, we still have a larger predicament: the guards will never go away," Link stopped walking, looking at the girl deeply. He started to move again as he continued, "We'll always have to live in hiding because you'll always be a princess that went missing. We're going to have to come up with a long term solution to that problem. Sooner or later, you're going to have to go back. Hyrule, as of now, no longer has a next-in-line for the throne. Once your father ceases to rule, anyone could be chosen to take his place!" He'd stopped again.

"True enough, but I don't know if I want to rule a country that knows not of your accomplishments and thinks of you as a criminal," she decided.

"Yes, but Hyrule will be nothing without you. You're brilliant. You're able to navigate an entire country for years without attracting the attention of a killer who's after you! It's that kind of intelligence that this country needs!" He took a step closer to her. "Don't worry yourself about what will become of me," his eyes flashed as he smirked, "as queen, you can pardon my crimes."

She giggled, "I find it highly unlikely that parliament will approve of the pardoning of my kidnapper."

"Oh, well when has anyone ever cared what parliament's had to say about things? Do you think that parliament approved of skeletal warriors crashing through the ceiling of their meeting room and coming at them with swords?" argued Link.

"Well, parliament has a very big job to do, regulating this country. They do a lot of work to keep my father from going completely mad."

"Yes, well, there are far better things than a room full of stuffy men in powdered wigs to keep somebody sane."

"Like what, exactly?" Zelda smiled at him.

"Oh, maybe actually taking some time off of work to have a little fun," suggested Link. "It seems to me as if that man is always on duty. He seems sad."

"Yes, well, he was once a joyful man, but my stepmother has an iron grip on his emotions."

"Stepmother?"

"Of course. My real mother died when I was just a child. He remarried just a few years later; it's customary to always have a spouse," explained the girl, looking at her companion as if he was an imbecile. "Though of course," she continued, "when a spouse dies, there is a certain period of mourning time allotted. I don't much care for my stepmother, I'm not entirely sure why, but there's something incredibly insufferable about her."

"Yes, I could imagine how that could be, to live with someone who masquerades as if she is your real mother," agreed Link, looking suddenly melancholy. "However, it has to be better than having no mother at all."

Zelda frowned. "That's right. You've no parents of your own. I can't even think of how I could survive!"

"Yes, well, I lived happily under the Great Deku Tree's guidance, but ever since he died and I had to leave... well, I just became a little to old to continue pretending to be a Kokiri."

"Where did you go? You know, when you left with the ocarina."

"Termina, the neighboring land. That's where I met Anju and Kafei and Mayor Dotour and his wife. All of the people of Termina are great." Zelda seemed a little surprised that he'd been so close. Still, though, it was a treacherous journey between the lands, one not taken by those who didn't need to. "I was looking for..." he paused, grasping for the correct term, "a friend of mine who disappeared and was ambushed in my search by a skull kid who was possessed by a mask. The ocarina was stolen and Epona was taken. Then there was this crazy chain of events that had me reliving the same three days over and over until I won back the ocarina, gained the mask, and stopped the skull kid. Funny enough, we turned out to be friends and life when on.

"I stayed there for a couple of years with friends I'd made, but I began to feel a little homesick. So, I gathered up all of my spoils and returned to Hyrule. At first I lived with Malon, her father, and Ingo. Too soon did I realize that I couldn't stay there. With Ingo becoming increasingly underhanded in his ways (he was always plotting to steal Epona) and Talon becoming ever more drunk, I had to leave. I went to the city, found myself a house, and then enrolled in school. Thought I might as well learn something about the country I call home, right?" He looked at Zelda, who'd removed her mask, and was still disturbed by the ruby eyes that filled her sockets.

"Why the city? I always took you for someone who enjoyed traveling... I would have thought you would become nomadic."

"The city has always intrigued me a bit, I suppose. I like to keep an eye on things."

"Or keep an eye on me?" Zelda smirked as she said it.

"Well..." Link blushed. "I guess that had something to do with it. It just was very unfair. To have you know... and then forget. It simply wasn't fair."

"I agree," she purred, leaning in the kiss him.

"Romani," stated Gasto.

"Yes, that is my name," uttered the girl irritatedly.

"Okay, well then, Romani, tell us what you know."

She looked about the cafe and pursed her lips. Raising her voice she called out, "I'd much prefer it if all those who have anything bad to say about Link to please exit the premises." Nobody stood up. She raised an eyebrow. "Nobody?"

"We all know the guy. Been comin' here everyday since he started workin'. We just want him back," yelled a voice in the back.

"Good," said Romani, "then I'll get started. First, a little background. I've known him since I was eleven, when he so graciously helped rid my own farm (not this Lon Lon Ranch you keep talking about, the Romani Ranch. And yes, I was named for it.) of some very unsettling creatures that came to steal our cows. We became good friends and he continued to aide me and my sister with our troubles, such as fending off thieves.

"Though we were friends, he still had to go back to his land, this land. We continued to exchange letters. He told me of his girl he'd known well back before he'd come to Termina, and said that she'd all but forgotten his entire existence. Then, his last letter said that he was in the running to journey to the palace to vie for the princess's hand in marriage, who I found out was actually the girl he'd known. I did not receive a letter after that.

"You see, I've done a lot of research on Hyrule since learning of its existence. I read about the royal family, and they seem kind enough, but this Impa woman seriously throws me off. Now, mind you, I'm regularly a very upbeat happy girl, but I know when business needs to get done. This is one of those times. We need to find out more about Impa and her motives before she makes her next move. So, do we have any more connections besides Kafei?"

The men in the cafe looked at one another. Gasto grinned, "Me and an inner gate guard, Brutus, went to school together."

Romani smiled. "Perfect."

**So, how was it? PLEASE review! :3 It's what keeps me going, really. Otherwise I lose interest and it'll be ANOTHER eight months. Hopefully I'll stop having computer troubles (I had a lot of those, too... .) and can keep the momentum up on this story! **

**Scrapped Ideas for this Chapter:**

**Romani and Malon meet.**

**Link rants.**

**Emo angst. **

**All good stuff that shouldn't have been in there. **

**YAY! :D**


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